CALLUM Ferguson will be granted whatever it takes to find form after being hit for six by one of cricket’s harshest Test culls says South Australian coach Jamie Siddons.
Ferguson was run out for 3 then out for 1 on Test debut in November against South Africa. What appeared as a late blooming Test lift-off for Ferguson – on the back of several boom summers – was left on the runway in Hobart.
Ferguson, 32, has added 91 runs to the 102 spanked in the Sheffield Shield season opener against Western Australia in Perth but Siddons is retaining faith in the experienced No.3 batsman.
“What happened to him earlier in the year, he has to get over that and perform for the Redbacks and get his name back up there,” said Siddons of 107-game first-class veteran Ferguson.
“He says he will just hit some more balls and it will come which usually happens with really good players. We are sticking with him, be positive. He has got that spot until he makes some runs.”
Ferguson walks off after a disappointing showing against Western Australia. Picture: Stephen LafferSource:News Corp Australia
The Redbacks rely heavily on Ferguson to build foundations with fledgling opening combination Sam Raphael and Jake Weatherald. Travis Head, Jake Lehmann, seasoned Tom Cooper and keeper Alex Carey are facing the Dukes ball earlier than Siddons would like.
“It is a tough one, he has been our stalwart, rock at No.3. He is getting out and exposing our middle order and we are not used to that. He is looking for runs and answers,” said former Bangladesh coach Siddons.
Travis Head’s men must take down two of Queensland at home or New South Wales and Tasmania away to reach consecutive Shield finals.
SA has slipped to third on the Shield ladder. Consecutive home losses to Western Australia and Victoria coincided with the introduction of Dukes balls that remain harder and swing more than the Australian Kookaburra variety.
Siddons noted Chadd Sayers was on the cusp of a “record breaking” Shield season with 46 – 19 behind Shaun Tait’s 2004-05 mark and 21 adrift of Colin ‘Funky’ Miller’s all-time high 67 in 1997-98.
The batting must lift concedes Siddons who made 10,643 Shield runs for Victoria and SA.
SA has four century partnerships this campaign and none since November which marked its last score exceeding 250.
“We are not having success at the moment but I am sure we have the best players there to get the job done,” said Siddons.
Originally published as Siddons backs Ferg to rebound from Test cull
